**Mustard Seed Distributed**

As I continue to try my darndest to follow Jesus each day, I am continuosly encouraged by others that are on the same journey. When I really see someone engaging in the wrestling match that is detaching your selfish self from this world and trying to understand what it really means to follow Jesus, I am encouraged with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul. I see others in this wrestling match, and I think I see the joy that God sees when someone really engages in the relationship God so desperately desires with each of us. That is really something that is cool to see with your human eyes, and with your spiritual mind. And so as I pondered this this week, I had the notion that doing something part time is not an option if you are following Jesus. You either engage fully, or you are not really doing it right. I see things come out of the nugget, or out of my superstar, or out of the mouth of my daughters, and I see that full time is not optional. I must be present in the mome...

Well, it is not set in the new concrete just yet............but we do have an offer. An offer that may close within thirty days and have the kkft on the hop. (thanks mom and dad) Not really sure how to navigate that. I do know that God has his hands fully into the dough of our home sale. I know that even after trusting Him for 465 days, He knew the plan all along. Trusting God with something as monumental as the home you built with your own two hands, standing next to your father, uncle, cousin, and friends is truly a humbling experience. Watching what you thought was a pile of equity shrink during those 465 days is even more humbling. Walking away from your home without owing the bank or anyone else a pile of money in the worst economic times EVAR...............................................priceless.

Well, if you are a regular T$ blog reader, you know that I have been on a quest from couch potato to 5k. The first day of the regimen started on November 18, 2008 if you care to review the blog posts, search 'couch' and you can read all about it. Or not. Either way, today is a monumental day for me. This is the first day that I ran my 5K without stopping. Without pause. Without a break in the action. I can run it in about 12 minute miles, which is a pretty good clip for me. This is exactly 18 weeks to the day that I began this quest. The first week, it was hard to run for a whole minute. Now, I can run for over three miles without pause. I used to be the guy that said runners were stupid people, and would ask "what the H would I want to do that for?" Now, when I go more than a couple days without a run, I miss the action. Sure, it took me twice as long as the recommended program. Sure, I had to modify modify modify. But I did it. With Jesus as my worko...

Today, I ran for about half an hour without stopping, save for the crosswalk. I enjoy running now, and it is almost eery to me to hear myself think that, say that, write that. I am enjoying the fact that I am taking care of the temple that God gave me that is my body. It is refreshing to know that I am honoring this shell that God gave me and taking better care of it on a daily basis. Which leads me to my running revelation today. As I ran through R town, I took a route that led me by my old school. As I ran toward it, I reflected on who I used to be when I worked there. I used to have the idol of self gratitude, self service, and self whatever I felt like at the moment, particularly self service in my career. I fell like God rescued me from that idol and showed me how to knock that tower down. As I thought through this and ran, I had a vision of myself knocking down the tower that I used to put myself on. It felt incredible. A tool that pastor has given me is utilizing my im...

St. Patricks day often leads me to think of my ancestors and how I eventually came to this earth. But St. Patty's day will probably be different from now on. A new K arrived and it is a beautiful tender Isabella. Since I'm not smart enough to leave the camera for the superstar, and I'm not smart enough to take it into the Hospital, no photos. But mommy is well, even though it had to be a C section, and I pray for a long healthy life filled with the love of God for the new family that was created this week. You can see a photo on the other nugget's site here . Godspeed.

"This is my Church" People love each other. They celebrate each other. They enjoy the fun of life. They pursue Jesus. They live to serve others. Chew on this. This is my church. I see myself in you. I see my heart, my love. I see my will being done in you. In all of you. My church. When you are experiencing life the way God wants you to experience it, you know and believe and identify the fact that God is good. He doesn't sit in heaven with lightning bolts waiting for you to screw it up. And when you really start to chip away at the stone that is 'hardening your heart', Jesus smiles and laughs and demonstrates his love for you in a multitude of ways. When you give up your idols, when you sacrifice your self-serving nature so that others might experience the love of God, you see and feel and hear and enjoy the love and joy that is in Christ Jesus. No one could ever explain that to me as I grew up, as I became a young adult, as I became a young man, and e...

The star and I took the show on the road this weekend to Mt. Bethel, PA, located on the banks of the Delaware River across from Jersey (pronounced Joy-Z). A special shout out to the Panks and my mom and dad for taking our girls so we could attend. So many thoughts ran through my mind as we drove along I-80 toward NYC. A powerful lingering thought for me was that the kkft will most likely make this trek many times in the future, and I will learn the road like I know 75 to the south now. To say this weekend was powerful would never be enough to explain it in human terms. I can tell you quite a few things that were again revealed to me, or revealed to me anew while in the midst of some of the most reckless people I know. First, I know in my heart this is where I will be and what I need to be doing with these people. At one point during the weekend, I went for a jog, and as I came back onto the property, I removed my ipod and enjoyed the most joyous noise I may have ever heard in my...

How will I know? That's all I can say to you. Only God could have created this job in Brooklyn with me in mind, and only in His timing of perfection could it have played out like it did over the last year and a half +. Now our realtor calls us and there is a potential offer. But they don't want to close until July to get the tax credit. Thanks O'Bama. So how do you really know it is God's hand? He hasn't sent me an email or faxed me a memo on this one. So how will I know what is right in the eyes of God? Right for the kkft? Right for the buyers? I pray for wisdom, discernment, and insight into the right thing. Funny thing is this week I have been asking, seeking, and knocking. Is this His answer? Let us pray...

This week meant attending another funeral, that of Superstar's Aunt F. Diagnosed with esophogas cancer two weeks ago, she died in her home this weekend with her children there to be with her. It was hard for me to attend the funeral of my uncle two weeks ago, and today was no easier. Superstar's cousin honored his mom today with great words and emotion, and the pain was palpable for all of my 'in-laws', including the star. Here's why-Aunt F. loved you the moment she met you. She cared about who you were and, as superstar said today, complimented everyone that she came in contact with. She cared for others more than herself, and that care exuded every step she took in life. Losing her husband early, losing her autistic child, losing her parents early. Always caring for her daughter with special needs first. Yet, she pushed on and as her son said today, never asked "Why?", but continued to press into the "How?" The priest asked a challeng...

So the couch potato to 5k is tough, but I am getting there. I can run about 2 miles without stopping on a regular basis now. I have even run 2.5 on a few occasions. I have not pushed the last couple of weeks of the training, but I do know that I am running regularly-good excercise-and I am getting more fit. I broke the 190 barrier this week, and it feels good. That takes care of the physical. I am almost there.... Mentally, I am in a good spot. I am learning a ton about urban education and what that really means on the ground, not on paper somewhere in some legislator's office. Not in some suburbian dream. On the ground. I think I am getting ready to mentally be a full time urbanite. This school year has given me some foundations and groundwork that was much needed to allow me to have the mental capacity to be from "the city." I am almost there.... Now onto the spiritual. The last year and a half has been the most powerful of my life. I now understand that t...